travel blog – A Traveling Fool

May 16, 2025

April in Paris: The Archaeological Crypt Plus Two Old and Diverse Churches

The entrance to the Archaeological Crypt was right behind the bleachers upon which we sat to take photos of the exterior of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. This was at the western end of what is officially known as Parvis Notre Dame – Place Jean Paul II.

The current level of the Parvis is roughly 4 to 5 meters (approximately 13 to 16 feet) higher than the ancient ground level. The current riverbank of the Seine has also moved roughly 50 meters (approximately 164 feet) to the south of the original. That means that the ancient riverbank was essentially in the middle of the current square.

Workers in 1842 discovered the original western steps of Notre Dame, which had ended up under several centuries of repaving. Then, in 1847, the foundations of the Roman wall and of the cathedral of Saint Etienne were found during further excavations.

In 1965, while excavating for a new underground parking garage, even more ancient foundations were discovered. The plans for the parking garage were modified and the site was opened to the public in 1980. I have included a photo of the actual Roman Port with a video behind it to indicate what the port would have looked like back when it was being used. I also have a photo of the steps down to the port.

Then there are the remains of the 4^th century Roman hot baths. The under-floor heating system is still visible. There are also some of the items that have been unearthed during the excavations, such as weapons, tools, and portions of sculptures. There was one sculpted face that I captured because I found it quite interesting. Couldn’t find any information about what it was, however. It seems like it could be a more modern piece of art included in the display.

One of the major sculptures discovered here is called The Pillar of the Boatman and is on display in the Roman frigidarium at the Musee National du Moyen Age (also known as the Musee Cluny). The next post will be about our visit to that museum.

By this time, we needed a lunch break. We headed across the Seine to the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank. Just on the other side of the bridge was a café I had visited four years earlier while in Paris on the Avalon Waterways Grand France River Cruise. One of our number remained to take ownership of our table once we could be seated. The rest of us headed downstairs to the restrooms in the cellar.

After lunch (I had a Croque Monsieur and some fresh-squeezed orange juice) we made our way through the Square René Viviani to visit the Eglise Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre. When the original 6^th century Church of St. Julien existed, the area that became a square in 1909 had been a cemetery. During the 19^th century some Merovingian-era graves and tombs had been found near the walls of the current Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre.

A rather odd-looking and modern fountain was erected in the square in 1995. It is known as the Saint Julien fountain and is meant to represent the legend of Saint Julien the Hospitaller, which involves a curse by witches, a talking deer, a case of mistaken identity, a horrific crime, several improbable coincidences, and a supernatural intervention. It was a popular tale back in the Middle Ages.

In addition to containing pieces of several sculptures that had once stood on portions of Notre Dame de Paris (and had been discarded during past renovations), the Square is also known for being the location of the oldest tree in Paris. It was planted back in 1601 from a Locust tree seed brought back from the Appalachian Mountains in the U.S. It is supported by a couple of concrete crutches and continues to bloom every year. It is just outside of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre.

The 6^th century version of this church was torn down and rebuilt at roughly the same time as Notre Dame was being built. It was begun in the Romanesque style, but is mostly Gothic. It was begun between 1165 and 1170 upon the foundations of the older church. It is referred to as the “oldest church in Paris” (it was begun after Notre Dame but completed well before it). Of the city’s 12^th century churches (Saint Germain des Pres was outside of the city when it was built), it is the only one that has survived.

Like most religious and/or royal structures, it too was treated poorly during the French Revolution and used as a storage depot for salt. In the 19^th century, the church was restored and then assigned to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Since this group is adverse to sculptural decoration, there is just one statue remaining inside. It is a 17^th century carved wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and Child. The Melkite Greek Catholic Church does favor icons and so the walls of the two side aisles have several icons displayed on them.

It did not take long to see the entire church as it was quite small. Since a lovely 15^th church was close by along a pedestrian-only street, we headed there next to see a church that was quite different in size and style from this small gem.

The Church of Saint-Séverin was originally constructed in 1230. After a fire in 1448 during the Hundred Years’ War, it was rebuilt and enlarged in the 15^th to 17^th centuries. Parts of the original church still exist however. The lower portion of the bell tower remains as do other bits and pieces throughout. The portal is actually from another, earlier church and the nave was built in two different styles and eras — High Gothic (13^th century) and Flamboyant (15^th century). The stained-glass windows come from many different centuries and are in many different styles. Although it is a bit of a hodge podge, it all works together quite harmoniously.

The church was named after Saint Séverin of Paris. He lived on the site of the present church in the 6^th century. One of his pupils was Clodoald (Saint Cloud). After Saint Séverin’s death, a chapel was erected on the site of his cell. This was destroyed during the Norman invasions in the 9^th century and rebuilt in the 11^th century.

After the University of Paris (now the Sorbonne) was founded in 1215, Saint Séverin became its parish church. This necessitated a much larger building which was begun in 1230.

During the French Revolution, the church was closed and used to store gunpowder. Later it was used for storing grain and church bells (which were being melted down to make cannons). Ironically, one of the oldest church bells in Paris, cast in 1412, is located at Saint Séverin.

A very distinctive feature of the apse behind the altar is the twisting central pillar and surrounding pillars that resemble stone palm trees. The branches reach up and spread into an intricate web of vaulting. The central pillar is illuminated and is quite striking.

This was another place where we sat and drank it all in for a while. Then we headed for the Musee National du Moyen Age, also known as the Musee Cluny.

Next time –Musee Cluny (Musee National du Moyen Age)

May 2, 2025

April in Paris: Arrival

I was meeting up with some friends in Paris. I knew I would be arriving several hours ahead of them, so I planned a walk from the hotel (which was near the Louvre) to L’Eglise Saint Roch, Opera Garnier, Chapelle Expiatore, La Madelaine, Place de la Concorde, and back to the hotel. They were going to text me once they arrived and we would meet up wherever I was along the planned route.

Notre Dame had opened up to the public in early December and was, by all accounts, spectacular. We all wanted to see it as well as spend some time together. So a short trip was planned and booked at the beginning of February.

My flight arrived at Charles de Gaule airport from the US at 7am. The others were coming by train and would arrive around 2pm. I had travelled fairly light and had just one carryon and the bag that I would be using for my camera, etc. while on the trip (I had stuffed my travel purse inside of that when boarding the flight).

I figured that I would be at the hotel about 9am. Time for breakfast and then head out exploring. Wrong. It took me an hour just to get to the area where I would go through customs as well as the actual going through customs. I connected with my pre-arranged transportation at pretty much 8am on the dot. It took roughly two hours to get to the hotel. The good news what that the room was ready for me. The bad news was that breakfast was only served until 10:30am, so none for me that day. I immediately reversed my planned agenda.

I unpacked and got things settled in the room, then headed out. I would bypass Place de la Concorde (I had seen it many times on many other trips to Paris) and head straight for La Madeleine (which I had never been to before). After La Madelaine, I would get some lunch.

Originally planned by King Louis XV as the focal point of the new Rue Royal which led to what is now the Place de la Concorde, its building was halted by the French Revolution in 1789. Once Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor in 1804, he decided (in 1806) to make it into a “temple to the glory of the Grand Army”. After his fall in 1814, the new King, Louis XVIII, resumed construction on what he figured should be an Expiatory chapel for the sins of the Revolution and the execution of Louis XVI. That idea was dropped and it was instead dedicated to Mary Magdalene. Chopin’s funeral was held there, as were the funerals of Coco Chanel and Josephine Baker, among others.

The exterior resembles a Greek Temple. It also has some gargantuan bronze doors which were fortunately open. I thought the interior was quite beautiful and well worth visiting. The fresco on the dome above the altar was called The History of Christianity. Just behind the altar was a monumental sculpture called The Ecstasy of Mary Magdalene. I was there the Tuesday before Easter. This was the Mary who had witnessed both the crucifixion and the resurrection.

Another couple of sculptures that I really liked were one of Joan of Arc and one called The Baptism of Christ. I took my time and then headed to a nearby café for a light lunch.

When King Louis XVI was executed in 1793, his body was taken to the Old Church of Saint Madelaine (now the site of the Chapelle Expiatoire) and buried there in its cemetery without much ceremony. In 1815, his and Marie Antoinette’s bodies were moved to a new tomb in the Basilica of Saint-Denis. Then, in 1816 the Chapelle Expiatoire began construction at the orders of King Louis XVIII.

The chapel wasn’t open, so I could only see the outside of it. The courtyard of the chapel is lined with symbolic tombs to the Swiss Guards who were executed along with the king.

From there, I walked over to the Opera Garnier, which I have visited in the past. It had some construction going on, so the façade was covered up. It was closed to tours as well. The gift shop was open, but I didn’t see anything I couldn’t live without. So, after resting for a bit on its steps along with a number of other people, I headed down the Avenue de l’Opera.

Turning at Rue Saint Roch, I worked my way down to the church by that name. That was when I got the text that my friends were at the hotel. I responded with the directions to Saint Roch and met them there.

In the time of Joan of Arc, it is said that she placed a cannon on a hill where Saint Roch now sits and shot it towards the Paris gate of Saint Honore. The English and Burgundians were in control of the city at the time (1429) and King Charles VII had been crowned not that long before. During the assault, Joan was wounded in the thigh by a crossbow bolt and her efforts failed. The location of the gate was roughly where 161-163 Rue Saint Honore is located today. There is a plaque on the side of the building there.

The first stone was laid in 1653 to build Saint Roch. It was built on and off over time for about a hundred years. On the 5^th of October in 1795 a large force of royalist soldiers occupied the street and the front steps of the church. In what is known as the 13 Vendemiaire, these troops were confronted by the young Napoleon Bonaparte and his artillery battery. They cleared the steps and secured the street. So began Napoleon’s quick rise to power. The marks of the artillery fire can still be seen on the front of the church.

One of the chapels that I really like is the one dedicated to the French Jews who were killed during the Holocaust. It is quite touching and contains the inscription, “Mon Dieu faites de moi un instrument de votre paix,” which translates to, “God make me an instrument of your peace.”

Tombs and memorials include Yves Saint-Laurent, Marie Anne de Bourbon (daughter of Louis XIV), Cesar de Vendome, and Jean-Honore Fragonard. The Marquis de Sade, and the Maquis de Lafayette were among those married at Saint Roch.

Not far from Saint Roch is a café that I have frequented often in the past. We had our dinner there, looking out at a gold statue of Joan of Arc standing on a little traffic island in the middle of a broad street. Although I had had a light lunch, I still wasn’t especially hungry, so I ordered Oeufs Poches Bio Florentine avec Crème Citron et un milkshake au chocolat (poached eggs, spinach and lemon cream with a chocolate milkshake). My lack of sleep on the plane the previous night was catching up to me. For some reason, my mind just wasn’t remembering that the French for a chocolate milkshake was simply “milkshake au chocolat”. Fortunately one of my friends, who speaks French better than I, helped me out (while laughing).

Back at the hotel, we decided that a nightcap would be a good idea (our rooms were on the same floor, so they could steer me to the right place). The bartender created a drink that involved Champagne, Chambord (a French raspberry liquor), lemon juice, and some crushed, fresh mint. Perfect.

Next time – The beautifully restored Notre Dame

November 28, 2018

Over the Sea to Skye

While Orkney is mysterious, the Isle of Skye is magical. The day after our visit to Orkney, we left Wick for Thurso and looped around the top and western portion of mainland Scotland. This is a very remote area with single-track roads and small pockets of population here and there. It is very mountainous and the scenery is gorgeous.

Our morning break was at Smoo Cave. The way to the cave itself was very slippery because of the rain that had been falling in that area earlier that morning. I went close enough to take a photo, then hiked my way back up to where I could get a hot chocolate. Tommie wanted to get closer. So, after I was already at the counter ordering the hot chocolate, Tommie slipped and fell on the wet rocks, grass and mud, cutting her arm and face, bruising her arm and shoulder, and breaking the lens she had on her camera. She was fortunate she didn’t get hurt worse. I had managed to wrench my shoulder the day before, so we were quite a pair.

I always have a first aid kit with me when I travel, so we patched her up before continuing on our way to the small fishing village of Ullapool for lunch. With a population of only 1,500, Ullapool is the largest town in that part of Scotland. Nestled in the mountains next to the Atlantic Ocean, it is also very picturesque.

Our afternoon break was at Loch Carron. The village of Plockton sits at the mouth of the sea loch. Its weather is affected by the Gulf Stream, so the winters are mild and the summers temperate. It also has palm trees. It was the setting for a Scottish television series called “Hamish Macbeth” which starred Robert Carlisle as the title character – the town police officer.

On the Isle of Skye, our hotel was in the village of Broadford on a bay to the Atlantic. The room Tommie and I shared was on the side overlooking the bay, so we had great views. We had some free time between when we arrived and dinner, so I went for a walk. Poor Tommie was in need of some ice from her earlier injuries. When I got back from my walk, we had a couple of tasty adult beverages before our delicious 3-course dinner at the hotel.

The next day, we headed up to Dunvegan Castle at the northern end of the island. On the way, we stopped off for photos at the Red Cuillins and the Black Cuillins. These are rocky mountain ranges not far from Broadford. They remain a wild area mainly because the ground is not good for either farming or grazing. The rocky crags make these mountains quite beautiful.

We also passed the Talisker distillery. We tried to get John to turn in, but he wasn’t having it. Talisker is a very peaty Scotch whiskey loved by those who appreciate its smoky flavor.

Built on a rocky promontory overlooking a sea loch, Dunvegan Castle has been the home of the MacLeod family for over 800 years. They too did not allow interior photography. But they did allow us to wander the castle on our own. We weren’t too terribly restricted as to where we could go either. I loved that as we could see parts of the castle that tourists don’t necessarily always see, such as the kitchens and servant areas.

One of the treasures at the castle is the Fairy Flag. Legend has it that this flag was given to the Clan MacLeod by fairies and is said to possess magical powers. When I was there, it was framed on the wall. It looks very, very old, tattered and fragile. It is said to be made of silk woven in the Middle East, possibly in Syria or on the island of Rhodes. Skye is known for fairies, with fairy pools, fairy bridges and fairy hills. But then, remember, Skye is also home to the Talisker Scotch whiskey distillery.

After exploring the interior of the castle, I went outside to see the castle’s sea gate and the gun court. Ships could sail directly to the castle on the sea loch from the Atlantic. The numerous cannons on the gun court were able to protect the castle in case the ships approaching it weren’t of a friendly nature. The grounds of the castle had gardens, streams, cottages, and even a loo (restroom) that was in the form of a miniature castle.

When we left Dunvegan, we stopped off at Portree for a lunch break. Portree is roughly in the center of Skye and is the largest town on the island. Portree was also the site of the last meeting of Flora MacDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie before the prince left Skye, ultimately for France. Flora was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London for her part in his escape. She was set free after about a year and went on to live quite an interesting life.

Originally built by the MacKenzie clan in the 13^th century, Eilean Donan sits on a tiny island at the intersection of three lochs. The castle was destroyed in 1719 by cannon fire from several ships and lay abandoned for two hundred years until it was purchased and restored. We had a late afternoon tour of the tower keep of the castle, which isn’t terribly large, but is really cool. It is what a medieval castle should be with very thick, stone walls, a large, barrel-vaulted, low-ceilinged stone room on the lowest floor and lots of atmosphere.

At the time that the castle was destroyed, it was occupied by Spanish troops, many of whom were killed during the bombardment. As a result, much of the castle is supposedly haunted. Where the ghosts are seen was pointed out to us as part of the tour. Once again, however, we could not take photos inside the castle, but we could take photos outside on the castle ramparts.

After our visit to the castle, we went to a pub in the nearby town of Dornie. I tried some Eilean Donan Ale while we listened to a piper who had been hired to play for our group. I know that bagpipes are something that people either love or hate with little in-between. They have some very fine pipers in Scotland who can coax some very sweet sounds out of their instruments. In case you haven’t guessed, I’m one of those people who love bagpipes. I even purchased a chanter (the actual pipe part, without the bag) several years ago to try to learn how to play them. My short little fingers didn’t work too well with it. Not much success.

Not sure what got into John, but he decided that our driver, Alistair, could take us and our full-sized tour coach up a nearby mountain on a very narrow, single-track road. Single-track roads can be an adventure on flat terrain, but on a mountain you could be taking your life in your hands. It seemed to me that Alistair was of a mind to boot John off of the mountain once we finally reached the viewpoint John wanted us to experience.

We did have to do quite a bit of maneuvering to get around one specific wall of rock. We were also very close to the edge of the road at a couple of points. But that particular tour company doesn’t take chances with their customers, so it was just a way to give us a bit of an adventure without putting us in any real danger. We did have some spectacular views from up there. We came down the mountain on the other side, encountering Shetland ponies and even some wild boar on the way. The photo I have included here of a wild boar looks like he is charging the tour coach. Back at the hotel, I tried some Drambuie, which originated in Broadford from a recipe given to one of the clan families by Bonnie Prince Charlie.

The following day, we visited Armadale before boarding the ferry to Mallaig. We took in the Clan Donald Museum of the Isles and explored the castle ruins and lush gardens of Armadale. On the way from Mallaig to Glenfinnan, we stopped to watch the train that is used in the Harry Potter films as the Hogwarts Express as it went by. It obligingly blew its whistle as it chugged on by with steam billowing from its smokestack. Since I was using my video camera to capture all of that, I didn’t get a photo of it. So I use here, someone else’s photo.

Soon we boarded another ferry to the Island of Mull. Our time on Skye was one of fairies and ferries.

View from hotel room in Broadford on the Isle of Skye

Looking down towards the Sea Gate at Dunvegan

Looking up to the entrance of the castle keep from inside the courtyard

Looking across the ramparts of Eilean Donan

View of Eilean Donan from midway up the mountain

The ruins of Amadale Castle as seen from the garden

The Jacobite Steam Train (Hogwart’s Express)

November 18, 2018

Ancient, Mysterious Orkney

While in Cornwall, Mom and I had visited Land’s End, the southernmost point on the British mainland. It was a very foggy day, so we didn’t see much. Twelve years later, my friend, Tommie, and I were at Dunnet Head, the northernmost point on the British mainland. As you will see in the photo, a storm was coming in with lots of wind and rain and very low visibility. So much for great scenic locations.

From Dunnet Head, we were driven to John O’Groats, from where we were taking a passenger-only ferry to Orkney. A different bus and driver were waiting for us there. But first, we needed to cross the Pentland Firth. The body of water that separates Orkney from mainland Scotland is where the North Sea meets the Atlantic. They don’t play well together. In fact, in the best of weather, they tend to fight. In poor weather, the ferries can sometimes be shut down due to the danger of what is called a “confusion of seas”. Our Tour Director, John, likened it to the film “The Perfect Storm”. Good thing I don’t get seasick. There were a few extremely pale faces and very wide eyes on the ferry. It was quite a ride.

When we arrived at Burwick, we were immediately taken to a cozy little café where we received a very tasty homestyle meal. With very satisfied stomachs, we drove around a body of water called Scappa Flow to the Italian Chapel built by prisoners of war in 1943.

Roughly 1,000 years ago, Vikings used to anchor their ships at Scapa Flow. During World Wars I & II, it was used as a naval base. The Germans chose to scuttle their fleet when it was captured and interned at Scapa Flow during WWI. The wrecks of the ships can still be seen jutting out of the water.

The prisoners of war who built the Italian Chapel were building the Churchill Barriers, which are causeways linking some of the southern islands of Orkney to the main island and blocking access to Scapa Flow. They joined together two Quonset huts and then decorated the church with materials at hand. They did a beautiful job.

Stonehenge dates to about 3000 BC. But the Neolithic Standing Stones of Stenness on Orkney is thought to possibly be the oldest henge site in all of the British Isles (3100 BC). A short distance away is the Ring of Brodgar, which was thought to have been erected roughly 2500 BC. By the time we reached the Ring of Brodgar (in which people can walk around and even touch the stones), it was raining horizontally. Orkney doesn’t have a lot of trees on a good share of its islands, so the wind can barrel its way across quite easily, bringing the rain with it. I hid behind one of the stones to photograph the others. I also wiped out my video camera to show that the rain was horizontal. Maeshowe, a burial mound built about 2800 BC, can be seen from the Ring of Brodgar.

When I was in Egypt, I encountered some very old structures, but Skara Brae, a Neolithic village on Orkney, is older than the pyramids or anything else I saw in Egypt. A cluster of stone and earth houses, Skara Brae was unearthed by a storm in 1850. It was occupied roughly from 3180 BC to about 2500 BC. A couple of the houses still have furnishings – beds, cupboards, dressers, seats and storage benches – all made of stone. It appears that the inhabitants were taken by surprise and fled, leaving some of their personal belongings behind.

Just steps from Skara Brae is Skaill House. The oldest parts of the house are thought to date back to the 15^th century, but the majority of the building dates to the 17^th century. Some of the house was inadvertently built over an ancient pre-Pictish burial ground. Several Pictish burial mounds are scattered around the area as well. Some of the house is rented out for people on holiday (vacation). There have been several stories about possible hauntings in parts of the house.

I had a very odd experience while there. It had begun to rain again while I was walking around Skara Brae, photographing and filming. By the time I was headed over to Skaill House to tour it, the rain was coming down quite hard. When looking at the house, there is an archway to the right of the building that actually predates the house itself. When I passed through the arch to go to the entrance, the rain stopped. I turned around and looked back through the arch to see that it was still raining on the other side. Ooooweeeooo! The place does have a very odd, mysterious, spooky vibe to it.

Once again, no photography was allowed inside. We could tour the main building and the kitchens, but not the wings. It is fairly large and spread out. In the library was a large, low, round window in a very thick wall. Sort of an unusual choice, I thought. I used Skaill House as a setting for a novel (that needs a rewrite) because it is so sprawling and foreboding on the outside, but quite pleasant and comfortable inside. Except for the ghosts.

Back in Orkney’s main city, Kirkwall (which is one of the few parts of Orkney with trees), is the 900 year old St Magnus Cathedral. It was built by Earl Rognvold of Orkney to commemorate his uncle, St Magnus. It even has its own dungeon.

Magnus was killed with an axe to the head and is always depicted with an axe. I don’t know that I’d like to be depicted for all eternity with a symbol of what killed me. But that seems to be the way they did things back then. When Rognvold had the cathedral constructed, he had Magnus’ bones interred in it. Nobody knew where they were until 1917 when they were found inside of a hidden cavity in a column. The skull clearly had what looked like an axe wound. There is now a statue of Magnus next to the column where he was discovered.

The ferry ride back to mainland Scotland was even rougher than on the way over. A very choppy ride. We headed back down to Wick for a second night and left for the Isle of Skye the following day.

The northernmost point on the British mainland — Dunnet Head, Scotland

Parts of the German WWI fleet sticking out of the water in Scapa Flow

What the houses would have looked like when they were completely intact

Skaill House — you can see the arch to the right

Statue of Magnus in front of the column in which he was found

November 11, 2018

Macbeth, Birds of Prey & the Castle of Mey

During the 2009 tour to the Highlands & Islands of Scotland, we made a visit to the Culloden Battlefield. Mom and I had been there several times on prior trips. On the most recent in 2005, I had contributed a small amount to the new visitor center that was being built back then and was completed in 2008. It is a really great visitor center. One of my favorite sections was a film where you stand in the center of a round room and the battle takes place all around you. There is no narration, just the battle itself. You feel as if you are in the middle of it and it is very moving.

The battlefield had been restored as well. It was easy to see the burial mounds and stone markers had been added to indicate which clans were buried in which mounds. There were GPS devices to carry with you that would tell you about whatever part of the battlefield you were on. We had a pretty good amount of time there to explore. What a difference from the first time I was there when there wasn’t much to see and it took a lot of imagination. This is one reason why it can be a good thing to return to someplace you have been before. It can be a very different experience.

At the end of our time there, I took a few moments to see if I could find my name on the ceiling. Although the amount I had contributed was not enormous, it was enough to get my name on the ceiling. The names weren’t in alphabetical order (probably in the order of the donation) and there were a lot of them, so I didn’t find it. But I know it’s there.

Our next visit for the day was Cawdor Castle, built in the 1300s around a thorn tree, which is still there in the center of the lower level of the original tower. Although Shakespeare refers to Macbeth in his play as “Thane of Cawdor”, the real Macbeth never had that title. The castle didn’t yet exist in his day either. The real Macbeth had a castle near Inverness, which no longer exists. He also didn’t murder King Duncan. Duncan was killed in battle against Macbeth. Later, Macbeth was killed in battle against Duncan’s son, Malcolm.

No photography was allowed inside of the castle (which is still privately owned and lived in). I loved this castle. Its rooms were not as vast as in royal castles – much more homey and cozy. It also has beautiful gardens and a very nice gift shop. The area behind the castle was quite woodsy and pretty, with a lovely stream running through it.

We went back into Inverness for lunch and a mostly free afternoon. Tommie and a couple others in our group and I had a good time wandering around the town’s narrow streets. Then we had a late afternoon boat ride on Loch Ness. I tend not to turn down boat rides. I love to be out on the water. Loch Ness can be a very interesting lake to venture out on. It is one of the deepest lakes in the world – certainly the deepest in the UK. When calm, it can be like glass. When choppy, it can get fairly rough. There is a lot of peat in the water, so it tends to look rather black with very poor visibility. The rolling waves in the wake of a boat can resemble the humps of a serpent.

We spent another night in Inverness and then headed up past the Black Isle to Sutherland where we stopped at Dunrobin Castle. The original castle was built in 1401, but was greatly enlarged (to 189 rooms) and remodeled between 1835 and 1850. The present building looks more like a French chateau than a Scottish baronial castle. Even though it is no longer privately owned or lived in, photos weren’t allowed inside there either. The size and grandeur of the castle made it less appealing to me than Cawdor had been. I could imagine myself living in Cawdor, but not Dunrobin. It was gorgeous and the gardens magnificent, however. We were able to wander through the rooms at our leisure and walk around in the gardens as much as we liked.

The castle overlooks the North Sea. Down by the Seagate is a Falconry. At various times during the day, they put on a show with hawks, falcons, eagles (one blue and one golden), and some owls. We were there with plenty of time to see a show. Since I had a video camera, the falconer had me point it at the eagle owl he had with him and then had the owl fly right by me, just skimming over my head (I felt the air as he went by). It was thrilling and looks fantastic on the video.

Throughout the trip, our Tour Director, John, had been saying, “Gird your loins for Wick.” When we arrived in Wick that evening, our hotel was small, without phones or TVs or fridges in the rooms or a restaurant (we were given a private dinner in a dining room area). I think he had been concerned that we might find it rather primitive after the more luxurious accommodations we had elsewhere on the trip. But it had good beds, electricity, and ensuite bathrooms. What more could you need for just one night?

After arrival, we immediately set off for the Castle of Mey. The Queen Mother had purchased the castle back in 1952, shortly after her husband, King George VI died. Built in the 1500s by the Sinclair family, it is a fairly small castle with 37 rooms. It was derelict when purchased, but was successfully turned into a lovely and cozy home. We were shown around the castle by one of the Queen Mother’s household staff. This was fantastic because they had actually known her and could tell endearing stories about her.

One story was that the Queen Mother kept a stuffed Nessie (Loch Ness Monster) on the top edge of one of the tapestries in the room where guests would be received. This was used as an ice-breaker to put first-time guests at ease when she would ask if they liked her Nessie. In one of the other rooms, she had a stuffed toy deer head instead of the usual trophy of a real deer. The room where Princess Margaret often stayed was supposedly haunted. The ghost didn’t seem to bother the Princess too often, but would make their presence known when she wasn’t there. Perhaps they missed her.

The castle also has a beautiful walled garden where both flowering plants and fruits and vegetables are grown. There is a bench in the garden where the Queen Mother liked to sit and contemplate life.

On our way back to Wick, we visited the church the Queen Mother attended when at Mey — Canisbay Church. They had her chair roped off. It was fascinating walking around in the surrounding cemetery and looking at the old tombstones.

That night, Wick was celebrating a festival to honor Henry Sinclair, who was said to have sailed to North America nearly 100 years before Columbus. They had a big torchlight parade through the streets, culminating in the burning of a Viking ship in the bay. This part is due to the town’s Norse heritage.

Next time – we cross the Pentland Firth to the otherworldly Orkney.

The eagle owl who skimmed my forehead at Dunrobin Castle

The Queen Mother’s bench in the garden of the Castle of Mey

November 4, 2018November 4, 2018

Rosslyn Chapel

During our 2009 Highlands & Islands tour to Scotland, my friend Tommie and I decided to spend a free afternoon in Edinburgh taking a city bus to Rosslyn Chapel. We had both seen the movie “The Da Vinci Code”. I had also read about the Knights Templar and their possible connections to the place as well as about Henry Sinclair (St Clair) and his possible voyage to what is now America in 1398. It was the Sinclair (St Clair) family that built Rosslyn Chapel in 1456. The elaborate decorations within the chapel include the depiction of maize (corn), which would have been unknown to Europeans in 1456.

We had a city tour in the morning, and then went to lunch at the undercroft café of the Church of St Andrew and St George next door to the hotel. Mom and I had been there before and found that the food was delicious, homemade, and the proceeds went to charitable work of the church. Good food and good works all at once. Cash only, though. No credit cards.

We waited a while for the #15 bus, which we could get right across the street from our hotel. A few other people in our group decided to go too. There were about six of us total. It was another rainy day. It absolutely poured on the way out there. The rain came down so hard that we really couldn’t see much out of the windows of the double-decker. We assumed the driver knew where he was going.

When we got to the town of Roslin, the bus dropped us off next to the hotel there. We found that we needed to catch the bus on the opposite side of the road to return to Edinburgh as well as the time of the last bus back before walking the distance to the chapel. The very steep road from the chapel to the castle was running like a river. We figured we’d spend our time at the chapel and venture to the castle if the rain let up and we had time. It didn’t and we didn’t, so I finally saw the castle several years later.

The chapel was being restored and was nearly completely encased in scaffolding on the outside. There was also a very large, temporary corrugated roof over the entire structure. Since we were allowed to climb up on the scaffolding, we actually saw the exterior of the chapel better than we would have just standing on the ground. We were able to stay dry too.

Periodically throughout the day, talks are given inside of the chapel regarding the history of the place and “The Da Vinci Code” movie. It is a fascinating talk. Afterwards we explored the interior of the chapel, including the crypt. It takes some time to take it all in; it is so gorgeous and there is so much to look at. In addition to all of the other amazing features of the place, there is the legend of the Apprentice Pillar. The Master Mason was so jealous of the beauty of that pillar, that he supposedly killed the apprentice. There is an inscription next to it that says, in Latin, “Wine is strong, a king is stronger, women are stronger still, but truth conquers all”. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside of the chapel.

The rain was lighter by the time we needed to walk back into town to catch our bus. The others who had arrived with us from our tour left before we did. While waiting for the bus to Edinburgh city center, we chatted with a fella from Turkey. Tommie had already been to Turkey so they talked about Cappadocia and some of the other interesting places in that country. I hadn’t been yet, so I paid attention to what they were talking about for future reference.

The rain quit while we were waiting for the bus so we could actually see the scenery on the way back into Edinburgh. We sat on the upper level at the front.

We had been planning to have dinner at a pub on Rose Street near the hotel. But we decided to splurge and go to the Dome across the street from the hotel instead. We ate in the Grill. I had a soup plus some haggis in a phyllo pastry shell. Haggis reminds me of hash and I actually like it.

The following day, we went to St Andrews, Braemar, and the Glenlivet distillery (all of which I’ve described before from past trips) on our way to Inverness. Our hotel was on the other side of the river from where Mom and I stayed the last time. The main street of Inverness was just outside of the hotel, which was great for finding places to eat and shop, but not so great for the middle of the night when the bars closed – especially after a football (soccer in US) game; whether or not their team won.

Next time — the area around Inverness and parts north.

Carved figures on the exterior of the chapel

More carved figures on the exterior of the chapel

Church of St Andrew & St George as seen from The Dome

October 29, 2018October 29, 2018

New Explorations in Scotland – Alloway, Carlisle, Hadrian’s Wall, Jedburgh, Abbotsford & the Royal Yacht Britannia

In 2009, my friend Tommie (who I have known since we were in high school) and I decided we should go to Scotland together. We are both of Scottish ancestry. She still lives in Texas and I have lived away from Texas (NYC and Minneapolis) for several years. So we got on a conference call with the tour company I used the most at that time, and booked the best, most thorough, tour of Scotland I had experienced up to that point – Scottish Highlands and Islands.

On the plane from Chicago to Heathrow, I sat next to a couple from Seattle. The wife had been three years old towards the end of World War II when her family fled northern Germany for Dusseldorf as the Allies were coming in. Their part of Germany was being taken over by the Soviets. A couple rows behind us was a man from Easy Company (“Band of Brothers”). I didn’t catch the name, but we all applauded him.

Tommie got into Glasgow about an hour later than I did and we met up at the hotel. Mom and I had stayed in that same hotel on a previous trip, so I remembered the area pretty well. We took a walk up to Sauchiehall Street and had lavender tea with treacle scones, jelly and clotted cream upstairs at Bradford’s Tea Room. A very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

That evening, we met the rest of the group. Our tour director was named John – a very smart, funny, interesting man. He knew a previous tour director that Mom and I had just a few years earlier (Matthew) and claimed that he was “barking mad”. I felt that it took one to know one. He was pretty darn eccentric himself. Our driver was Alistair, who Mom and I had on an earlier trip. A very nice man and a great driver. We had 44 people on this trip – 20 from the US and 24 from other places (Canada, Australia and New Zealand).

Our first stop the next morning when we actually began the tour was at Alloway. This was the birthplace of Robert Burns. He was born in a small cottage, which we toured, in 1759. I might have mentioned in an earlier blog that some people in Scotland can speak three languages – English, Scots Gaelic, and Scots (which is a mixture of old English and bits of Scots Gaelic). Burns wrote his poetry in Scots. If you don’t think you are familiar with him, he wrote the lyrics for “Auld Lang Syne” which is sung by most of the world on New Year’s Eve (called Hogmanay in Scotland).

After lunch in Gretna Green (which I had visited before), we dipped down into England to visit Carlisle. The castle there was built in the 1100s, using some of the stones from Hadrian’s Wall (which wasn’t protected then as it is now). Carlisle Castle was a military post from the 1100s all the way until 1959, making it the longest running military installation in the world. Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned there for a while in 1567. They tended to move her around a lot.

After the Battle of Culloden in 1746, which was the final battle of the Jacobite Uprising to place Bonnie Prince Charlie on the throne of Great Britain, several Scottish prisoners were held there in the Keep. The song, “Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond” was composed by one of those prisoners who was condemned to death. The “high road” is over land (alive), while the “low road” is in death. Our group spent a little time sitting in the cell, silently and in the dark, where these men were held.

Our hotel for the night was a very old building with a cozy old pub with settles. A settle is a wooden bench, with arms and a high back, which can usually accommodate from two to four people. It is often set near a fireplace to help keep the heat in that space. I find them very cozy. The bartender introduced me to a drink called “Pimms & Lemonade”. Pimms is a citrus-flavored liquor with spices. English lemonade is a clear, lemon-flavored soft drink. What we call “lemonade” in the US is “lemon squash” in the UK.

The following day was my first introduction to Hadrian’s Wall. I had read about it and gone by it before. But this was my first chance to get up close and even be able to get up on top of part of it. The wall stretches across a narrow portion of England for 73 miles (originally 80) and was begun in 122AD. The stone portions of the wall originally ranged from 16 to 20 feet in height and could be as wide as 10 feet. It was a pretty formidable wall. Some of the remains still are.

At the time it was built, the main people to the north of it were the Picts. This was considered to be an unconquerable group. They tended to paint themselves blue, had a lot of tattoos, and would strip naked when they went into battle, screaming at the top of their lungs. The Romans decided not to deal with them and just put up a wall instead of trying to rule them from scattered forts. The wall is fully in England and has never been on the Scottish border. At the time, Scotland as a country, didn’t yet exist and the Scots themselves were not yet in the area.

Cawfields Milecastle is the part of the wall we visited. It is next to a quarry and can be walked upon. Most of the wall cannot be walked on, but some portions are designated as being strong enough to handle all of us tromping all over it. It was raining when we arrived and the ground was muddy. But we slogged our way through to get to it and spent some time walking gingerly on it and taking photos of it. It was slippery. After getting back on the tour coach, we continued to drive along as close to the wall as we could as we traveled east. At one point, we could see Housesteads Fort way up on a very steep piece of land. I would finally visit that part of the wall in 2016.

We arrived at Jedburgh at lunchtime. Tommie and I decided that we would dash over to the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey and explore them, then grab some lunch to take onto the coach (if we didn’t finish it before we got on). The abbey had been built in the 12^th century. After William Wallace’s victory at Stirling Bridge, the English sacked the abbey in retribution. The Scottish Reformation in the 16^th century spelled the end of the abbey although the monks were allowed to live there until the abbey was essentially condemned in the middle 1800s. We were more interested in seeing the abbey than sitting and having a real meal. We knew we would be having a very good dinner that evening, so a sandwich for lunch on the run was fine. We actually did pretty well on time and were done with our sandwiches before we got back on the coach.

At Abbotsford House, we were the last group to be allowed in as Princess Anne was expected. Abbotsford was the home of Sir Walter Scott after he became rich and famous. We could visit the entrance hall, Scott’s study, the library, the drawing room, the armory, the dining room, and the chapel. Photography was not allowed indoors other than in the very small and plain chapel. We were told that when he became ill with typhus, Scott was set up in the dining room instead of his bedroom. He died in the dining room. We had time to spend out in the garden as well before we needed to pile back onto the tour coach.

At Edinburgh, we checked into our hotel, which was the George — the same hotel where Mom and I had stayed the last time we visited Edinburgh. It had changed owners and had been completely redecorated. Gone was the old-fashioned Victorian décor in favor of a more modern style. I preferred the Victorian. Tommie and I were housed on an upper floor in the newer wing and could see Edinburgh Castle in one direction and the Firth of Forth in the other. We got ourselves prepared for the next day and dressed up a bit for our optional tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia followed by dinner at the Balmoral Hotel.

The Royal Yacht was built in 1953 and was decommissioned roughly 40 years later in 1997. It was a private and stylish way for the royal family to travel around the world when making state visits or taking the family on vacation. It was also built to double as a hospital ship when needed. It is docked in Leith Harbor next to a shopping mall.

Next time, Tommie and I take a bus to Rosslyn Chapel on our free afternoon to explore the chapel, its Templar legends and connection to “The DaVinci Code”.

The box bed in which Robert Burns was born

Inside the Keep where the prisoners from Culloden were kept

The Crown Hotel in Wetheral, near Carlisle

The part of Hadrian’s Wall called Cawfields Milecastle

An effigy in the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey

View of Edinburgh Castle from the modern wing of the George Hotel

The only sign on the Royal Yacht Britannia identifying the ship

Along the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia

Sitting Room in the Royal Yacht Britannia

October 21, 2018

Transylvania

Growing up I had seen numerous black and white movies on TV about vampires, werewolves, etcetera, set in Transylvania. I had read Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula as a teenager in Dallas. When I lived in NYC, I saw an off-off-Broadway version of the play Dracula, as well as the stunning Broadway version with a young Frank Langella playing such a sexy edition of the blood sucker that nearly every woman in the audience was willing to succumb to this charms. In recent years just about every paranormal investigation group on TV has traveled to Transylvania to explore whether vampires or werewolves actually exist or to set their equipment up at Rasnov Fortress (both groups who I saw investigate there had pretty frightening experiences), Poenari Castle, or Bran Castle and see what they could capture. I was very interested in finding out whether or not Transylvania was as foreboding and spooky as its reputation.

Transylvania has seen Dacians, Romans, Carpi, Visigoths, Huns, Gepids, Avars, Slavs, Vlachs, and Magyars from the 1^st century BC to the 9^th century AD. All of those groups have left their mark – especially the Dacians, Vlachs, and Magyars.

When Mom and I went on the Central Europe tour, we had been told that people in Eastern Europe tended not to smile much and can be very standoffish. With all of the wars, invasions, and such they have experienced throughout the centuries, I can’t say I blame them. I was glad that Transylvania was not the first Eastern European region that I visited or I might have been a trifle unnerved by the rather dour expressions on most people’s faces. But I was used to it and found it no different than any other former Soviet country.

Our first stop in Transylvania was the mountain resort town of Sinaia. Just outside of the monastery we were visiting was a very large, lovely house for sale. Sue, Dot, Barbara and I discussed how we should go in on it together for a vacation home. We also enjoyed the fact that the real estate agency was Remax – there in the Carpathian Mountains.

The Monastery was founded in 1695 and named after the monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt. The relatively small monastery consists of two courtyards with a church in each and living quarters for the monks in the surrounding buildings. At the time it was built, it was the only structure in the area. A small town grew up next door, which was named after the monastery. Then, in the late 1800s, King Carl I of Romania, built Peleş (pronounced Pelish) Castle as a summer palace.

At Peleş Castle, we were able to purchase a ticket to allow photography and another to allow video. I did both and was glad I did. It is absolutely gorgeous inside (of course I have never met a castle I didn’t like). I have included just a couple of the interior photos I took here. Next door is another smaller castle built about a decade later called Pelişor Castle. It was also built by Carl I to house his nephew (who would be his successor).

After visiting Peleş, we had a lunch break. Sue, Dot, Barbara and I went to a small, family-owned hotel where we sat out on a terrace and had a white bean sour cream with bacon soup and some crusty bread with butter. After leaving Sinaia to head for Brasov, we encountered stormy weather in the Carpathian Mountains. By the time we reached Brasov, it was raining quite heavily.

Evidence of human inhabitation in Brasov exists as far back as 9500 BC. When it became a city, it was largely the Transylvanian Saxons who were involved in settling what is now the 7^th largest city in Romania. Zsuzsa’s Hungarian family lives in and around Brasov and has been there for over four hundred years.

Not too long after we arrived, I gave my brother, Dean, a call. It was his birthday. During the call I told him that I was in Transylvania, during a thunderstorm, in a room with a balcony and French doors. He asked if I had a crucifix. I answered that I had a new one from Rila Monastery and planned to have something with garlic for dinner. He thought that was a good idea. He also felt I should make certain that the French doors were securely locked.

We had an included dinner that night at a medieval fortress (up on a mountain) from 1580, replacing an earlier building that burned down. Members of the Brasov Symphony Orchestra played during dinner. It was very nice. Good food. By the time we were returning to our hotel, the storm was over.

They always say, “Write what you know.” Bram Stoker completely ignored that advice. He had never been to Transylvania in his life. He had heard of Vlad Dracula, liked the name, and turned a Prince of Wallachia into a Transylvanian Count. The castle? The location Stoker describes is in the northeastern part of Transylvania, near Moldavia. The description of the castle itself fits best with Bran Castle. Vlad was held prisoner in Bran Castle for a couple of months in 1462, but he never owned it. The castle has been nicknamed “Dracula’s Castle” and is marketed as such for the tourists.

Even so, it is a fascinating castle to see as it is roughly the right period (built just a hundred years before Vlad was held prisoner there) and gives a great idea of a Transylvanian Castle of that era. It is intact, furnished, and privately owned. Because of its mountainous location, there is a steep cobbled road to it. Then, you are up and down and up and down and up and down a myriad of stairs inside to get to the different rooms on different levels. The rooms are mostly pretty small. There is also a hidden staircase in a wall that we went up. Since I was the last one up, I was able to turn around a get a very good photo of it.

We had some free time once we toured the castle and so had plenty of time to look for interesting souvenirs. I did get a dagger with a handle in the shape of a dragon. I also bought an embroidered table runner.

On the way back to Brasov, we went by Rasnov Fortress. Too bad we didn’t get to stop off there. When we got back to Brasov, Zsuzsa gave us a walking tour of her hometown, including the medieval town walls, the Black Church, and the Old Town Square. The walls were built in the 15^th century. The gothic Black Church was completed in 1476 was named because of the scorched look of the exterior. Something special was going on in the church at the time we were there, so we didn’t get to go inside.

Also known as the Council Square, the Old Town Square has been in existence since the 14^th century. A museum of Brasov exists inside of the Old Council House in the center of the square. We were let loose on the town since there were numerous restaurants in the area to have lunch and we were also in walking distance of our hotel. Sue, Dot, Barbara and I found a very pleasant outdoor café where we had lunch. For some reason (perhaps the combination of a hot day, high altitude, and lots of walking), I was having a bout of dehydration. So, after lunch, the other ladies went to take a cable car up a mountain and I headed back to the hotel, purchasing liquids and some snacks for dinner on my way.

By the next day, I was fine again. We set off for Sighisoara, which is very picturesque, has its medieval walls and clock tower, and is the birthplace of Vlad Dracula. It was settled in the 12^th century, mainly by the Saxons. While Vlad’s dad was in exile from Wallachia and living in Transylvania, Vlad was born. The three story house his father owned in Sighisoara is still in existence and had been turned into a restaurant with a small weapons museum upstairs. It is considered to be the oldest stone house in town.

Not far from the house is the Monastery Church. This building dates back to the 13^th century, so would have been there when Vlad Junior and his family lived there. Just outside of the church is a bust of Vlad Dracula.

An even shorter distance from Casa Vlad Dracul, is the Clock Tower. It was built at the end of the 13^th century and is currently being used as a history museum. The ticket to the museum includes the ability to climb to the top of the tower where there are great views of the entire town, both inside and outside of the medieval citadel.

Within the citadel, the roads are narrow and either cobbled or dirt. The houses are very old and some are painted in bright colors. Around the two main squares (Casa Vlad Dracul is in the second main square) are several small hotels and numerous restaurants. We had our lunch in the main square after wandering the town and climbing up to the top of the clock tower. We had plenty of time for a nice, leisurely lunch. We made that our main meal for the day and had an appetizer, main course and dessert. Afterwards we left for Cluj Napoca, where we spent the night.

Our last stop in Transylvania was for lunch the next day in Oradea. Then we returned to Hungary and Budapest.

Carpathian Mountains with thunderstorm coming in

Secret staircase inside wall of Bran Castle

One of the streets in the citadel of Sighisoara

Main square of Sighisoara with Clock Tower in the background

View of the area outside of the citadel in Sighisoara from the top of the Clock Tower

October 14, 2018

Romania & the Prince of Wallachia

Crossing the Danube and entering Romania from Bulgaria brought us into the town of Giurgiu. From there, we headed to Bucharest. Romania became a country in 1859, when the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia were united by Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Transylvania, which had been part of Hungary, didn’t become part of Romania until after World War I. The original inhabitants of Romania were the Dacians.

Giurgiu and Bucharest are part of Wallachia. Three different times in the 15^th century, the Prince of Wallachia was a fella named Vlad Dracula (aka Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Tepes). Vlad’s dad was Vlad Dracul (Dracul meaning “the dragon”), so Vlad junior became Vlad Dracula, (Dracula meaning “son of the dragon”). Part of the premise of The Historian is that the fictional character of Dracula and the historical person Vlad Dracula are one and the same.

The historical Vlad was killed in battle back in 1476/1477. He had supposedly been buried in a tomb he had built in the Monastery of Snagov. However, excavations in 1933 discovered that the tomb was empty (which would go well with the idea of Vlad being the famous vampire). Then a theory was put forward that he was instead buried at the Comana Monastery (which he had also established) and is closer to where he was killed. In the 1970s, a headless body was discovered there that could possibly be Vlad. He had been beheaded at the time of his death. That would keep him from roaming around after death as beheading works as well for a vampire as a stake through the heart.

Comana Monastery is not mentioned in the novel, but is located in Giurgiu, the first town we encountered upon entering Romania. When we got to Bucharest we came in via the old town, including the Old Fortress, Curtea Veche. This was the palace of the Princes of Wallachia in Bucharest. Vlad Dracula ruled from there before he moved his capitol to Targoviste. He also had a massive castle at Poenari, just north of Curtea de Arges (which was also a capitol of Wallachia at one time). He spent a lot of time there between 1459 and 1462. In 1462, it was besieged by the Turks. Vlad escaped through a secret passage, but his wife leapt to her death instead of allowing the Turks to capture her. Both Curtea Veche and Poenari are in ruins. There is talk about restoring Curtea Veche.

It must have been confusing for Wallachians to have their capitol constantly moving from Curtea de Arges to Bucharest to Targoviste. Our tour zeroed in on Bucharest, which became the capitol of the entire country of Romania.

By the time we got to Bucharest, Sue from Wales, Dot & Barbara from Australia, and I had bonded. So we ventured around in Bucharest together when we had free time. Bucharest modeled itself on Paris and even has its own Arc de Triomphe (though much smaller than the original). We had a rather whirlwind tour of the city prior to our lunch break. Where we were dropped off was near some of the landmarks we had zipped past earlier plus we had a pretty decent amount of time. So we ate fairly quickly at an outdoor café and set off with our cameras to cover as much ground as possible and be back to our meeting place on time.

At the café, we encountered both stray dogs and Roma children. The very large number of stray dogs (which are feral and dangerous) are descendants of dogs that lost their homes when their families were forcibly moved from their villages into urban apartment blocks, to work in factories, during the Communist era.

There is a fairly large Roma (formerly referred to as Gypsies) population throughout Romania. Some of the Roma are quite wealthy and have mansions in villages that are mainly Roma. But a large number are very poor and the children openly beg, especially in Bucharest.

Romania also has very large communities of Saxons (Germans) and Hungarians. These communities, despite having Romanian citizenship, keep themselves separate from one another and the overall Romanian population. Our Tour Director, Zsuzsa, told us that her family (who live in Transylvania) still considers themselves Hungarian, not Romanian. The Hungarians go to Hungarian schools and the Saxons go to German schools.

The Romanian Athenaeum, a 19^th century concert hall was the closest to the café. We then set off for the Central Committee Building in Revolution Square, which had been the Headquarters of the Communist Party. On the 21^st of December in 1989, Nicolae Ceauşescu, the communist dictator of Romania, had the military fire upon the people who were protesting in the square. Over 1033 were killed. The next day, he and his wife fled by helicopter from the roof of the Central Committee Building. They were captured at Targoviste and were executed by firing squad on December 25^th.

On our way to the People’s Palace (which was built by Ceauşescu) for a tour of the interior, we went by the Military Academy. The People’s Palace (the Romanian Parliament) is the second largest building in the world (after the US Pentagon). It has 3,100 rooms and covers 12 stories over 365,000 square metres (3,930,000 square feet). Some of those 3,100 rooms are mighty large. There was one that I figured could hold my entire neighborhood. The balcony (which, all by itself, is bigger than my house) was where Michael Jackson famously greeted the crowd with “Hello Budapest!”

After the tour, we drove along the Romanian version of the Champs Elysees, with its lovely fountains, and past a statue of Romania’s founder, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, to reach the complex containing the Patriarchal Church, the Church of Bucur the Shepherd, and the Prince Radu Monastery. All three buildings resemble each other enough that I had a difficult time telling them apart when trying to identify the photos later.

The Patriarchal Church was built between 1655 and 1659 and is quite beautiful inside. There was a service going on, but we could take photos as long as we didn’t use flash. No problem. The Church of Bucur the Shepherd was named for the founder of Bucharest. Some people believe the church was built by Bucur himself (date unknown), while others feel it was built in the 15^th century, and still others that it was built in the 17^th century (not too long before the Patriarchal Church). It was rebuilt in the 18^th century, which further complicates matters.

The Prince Radu Monastery was founded in the 16^th century on land that has been in use by humans for thousands of years. Supposedly, it was founded in the name of Vlad Dracula’s younger brother. But, since that particular Prince Radu (Radu Cel Frumos) converted to Islam while he and Vlad were being held in Turkey when they were children, that doesn’t seem to make much sense. A later Prince Radu (a direct descendent of Vlad’s named Radu Voda Mihnea) is the more likely candidate. He lived in the 17^th century, which was after the monastery was founded, but had the monastery reconstructed on its original foundations (after it had been blown up by the Turks) while he was Prince of Wallachia. This might have caused it to be renamed for him with the original name lost in time.

Back in the 1930s several Romanian peasant houses, barns, churches and other buildings were moved from all over the country to the National Village Museum on the shores of Herăstră Lake. This was our last visit in Bucharest. We were given maps of the open air museum and a time to be back at the entrance. Then we all went exploring. It was a fascinating place. Each building had information regarding where it was from, the time period and the purpose.

Once we got back to the hotel, which was connected to a small shopping mall, we still had time to exchange some money. There are some countries (and Romania was one at that time) that don’t use credit cards much or where it can be risky to use one (Egypt was in that category). So Sue and I exchanged some of our own currencies me USD, her GBP) for Romanian Lei as we both wanted to buy some souvenirs when we got to Transylvania.

We ran into Manny and Jane (also from the UK) having ice cream and joined them. We were soon joined in turn by Hillary. For just 12 Romanian Lei (4 USD), we could get three scoops of ice cream in a chocolate-lined cone bowl. We were on our own for dinner that night, so we had our ice cream and then stopped in at a sandwich shop to get sandwiches and drinks to take back to our rooms.

The next morning, we left Wallachia and entered Transylvania.

One of the assembly halls in the People’s Palace

View from the balcony of the People’s Palace

Statue of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, founder of Romania

Interior of the Church of Bucur the Shepherd

A building in the National Village Museum

The porch of a small church in the village museum

A larger village church in the open air museum

A 17th century house in the village museum

October 9, 2018

Surprising Bulgaria

When growing up, about all I knew of Bulgaria was that it was part of the Soviet Union and had huge, muscle-bound men and women who competed in the Olympics. The country itself is quite beautiful and mountainous. It is also the oldest European state, having been founded in 681 as an independent country by the Bulgars. A good bit of Thrace (3000BC) was where Bulgaria is now. Several Thracian burial mounds can be found out in the countryside. Back in 855, two Bulgarian brothers named Cyril and Methodius invented the Cyrillic alphabet, which is used in several languages.

In 1018, Bulgaria fell to the Byzantines. Then, in 1398, it was invaded by the Ottoman Turks, who held the country until 1877 when the Russians helped the Bulgarians to win their freedom. After World War II, however, the Soviets took over Bulgaria until 1989, when they quietly left.

Bulgaria is the largest producer of lavender and rose oil in the world. We saw field after field of lavender plants and rose bushes. We also saw quite a few vast fields of poppies.

The drive from Belgrade to Sofia was a long one. We didn’t reach Sofia until the evening, around dinner time. Sofia is both the capitol and the largest city in Bulgaria. The area has been inhabited since at least 7,000 BC. By the time it became a city, it was inhabited by the Thracians. Alexander the Great and his dad, Philip II of Macedonia, both held the city at one time. Then it was conquered by the Romans, destroyed by the Huns, rebuilt by the Byzantines, and became part of the Bulgarian Empire. The name Sofia comes from the Greek word “Sophia” meaning “wisdom”.

The first night we spent in the hotel, there was a wedding going on. The guests were congregating outside of my room in the hallway around midnight, talking and laughing loudly, and not dispersing. So I got up, whipped the door open, placed a finger to my lips and said, “Shhhhh!” loudly. I then closed the door quickly to avoid any possible protests or arguments in a language I could not understand. Bless their hearts. They actually became quiet and went someplace else. I was able to get some sleep before needing to get up at 7am.

We spent the day in Sofia itself, starting at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Alexander Nevsky was a Russian Prince). Built between 1882 and 1912, the cathedral can hold 10,000 people. Photography isn’t allowed inside, but I didn’t know that until after I had already snapped a couple of somewhat fuzzy photos. It was very impressive and beautiful.

Next was the Church of Saint Sofia, which is the second oldest church in Sofia, dating to the 4^th century. The 19^th century Russian Church’s official name is the Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker. It is lovely, with several onion domes. It is also set in a park. A large part of the older areas of the city are covered in parks. Many buildings, such as the Russian Church and the National Theatre (Opera House) are set within their own parks.

Bulgaria has a President, a Prime Minister and both legislative and judicial branches. The cluster of government buildings is called the Presidency. They have a short Changing of the Guards ceremony every hour just outside of the main building. Inside the courtyard of the complex lies some Roman ruins of the town of Serdica, which was a forerunner of Sofia. A relatively intact Roman building was converted into a church in the 4^th century. This is the oldest building in Sofia and is dedicated to Saint George. Saint George (aka Sveti Georgi), along with the Patron Saint, Ivan (John) of Rila, is one of Bulgaria’s most important saints.

The next morning, we set off for the Rila Monastery. A very important and pivotal plot point in The Historian, during which a couple of the main characters discover where the person they are pursuing can be found, takes place at Rila Monastery, so I felt it would be a great place to buy a new crucifix to wear around my neck. After all, we were heading to Transylvania eventually.

The monastery was founded by Saint Ivan (John) of Rila in 927 and currently houses roughly 60 monks. It has 300 chambers, a main church, a museum, four chapels, a kitchen, a library, and a bell tower. It is high up in the mountains and is absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous.

That evening, when we returned to Sofia, we attended a Bulgarian Folklore Dinner. The music and dancing had both Turkish and Greek influences. Fire is an important element of Bulgarian culture, so the last entertainment of the night was a fire dance. This involved a fella dancing barefoot among smoldering embers while holding an icon. Being a fire dancer is a hereditary and revered position.

The following day we left for Plovdiv, which was once known as Philippopolis because of Alexander the Great’s father, Philip II of Macedon. It was at one time a Thracian city and was raided by pretty much everyone throughout its history. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe, having been established during the 7^th century BC, although it has had many different names during its existence. It wasn’t until the 9^th century AD that it was named Plovdiv. Like Rome and Edinburgh, Plovdiv is arranged on seven hills.

We visited some sites of Roman ruins, including a partially excavated gladiator arena and an amphitheater. The theatre is in pretty good shape and is still used for performances. A market was next to the arena, containing carpets and rugs, antiques, paintings, icons, and some souvenirs. On the other side of the market was an intact medieval area of streets, walls, gates and houses. I tell you, medieval people had to be in really good shape. The streets were very steep and narrow as were the stairs in the houses that were open to the public. Most of the houses are still privately owned and are quite unique.

After having some lunch, we drove to the Stara Planina Mountains, which are part of the Balkan Mountains. This included the Shipka Pass, which was the site of several important battles between the Russians and the Ottoman Turks in the 19^th century. The plains between Plovdiv and the mountains contained the largest amount of Thracian burial mounds we had encountered. I actually managed to get a decent photo of one as we flew by on the tour coach.

That evening we arrived in Veliko Tarnovo – the capitol of Bulgaria from 1185 to 1396. It is located way up in the mountains on the Yantra River. Once again, very steep cobblestoned roads and lots of equally steep stairs. The next day we visited Tsarevets Fortress, from which the kings of Bulgaria ruled the country. It is the highest point of the city. Traces of human presence there date back as far as the 2^nd century BC. There is also an Execution Rock from which people were thrown to the Yantra River far below. No record of any survivors.

Our hotel was on the edge of one of the mountains with a spectacular view of the Tsarevets Fortress, across the valley, from the restaurant of the hotel. My room was on the other side of the hotel overlooking a street. I remember it being quite warm that night and needing to keep the windows wide open since there was no air conditioning. I was hoping nothing would decide to fly in.

Near Veliko Tarnovo is a village called Arbanassi. The current population is about 500 people though, in its heyday, it had roughly 1,000 houses. This was the summer residence of the kings of Bulgaria. The houses were built as “fortress houses” where the ground floor was built in stone with thick walls and no windows while the floor above was often wood with plenty of windows.

Our last stop in Bulgaria was in the city of Rousse, just before crossing the Danube to Romania. It was mid-afternoon – ice cream time. They had a wide variety of delicious ice cream at a sidewalk cafe. After fortifying ourselves, we made our way into Romania, heading to its capitol Bucharest.